Global Football Odds & Ends

Mighty Joe Young

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
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67YAZ

67YAZ

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Mighty Joe Young said:
The Athletic has a scoop on the Newcastle takeover process - a huge trove of back and forth emails between , the UK govt., the Premier League and the Saudi authorities

https://theathletic.com/5077168/2023/11/21/newcastle-saudi-takeover-emails/?source=user_shared_article

Newcastle Saudi takeover: New government emails about PIF, Premier League, Staveley and owners

Executive summary - it’s as bad as you thought.
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An aside, but EPL staff uses Microsoft Teams? No wonder they can’t fix VAR.
 
Titans Bastard

Titans Bastard

has sunil gulati in his sights
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Brazil lost, which is apparently the first time they've ever lost a home WCQ.

It's also their third loss in a row, another first.
 
Vinho Tinto

Vinho Tinto

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Dec 9, 2003
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Zososoxfan

Zososoxfan

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Titans Bastard said:
Brazil lost, which is apparently the first time they've ever lost a home WCQ.

It's also their third loss in a row, another first.
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Messi was having none of Brazil's bullshit. He's been going full savage mode in international futbol for several years now, ever since winning the Copa America (the final of which Argentina won over Brazil at, you guessed it, the Maracana):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEEn548kewg
 
rguilmar

rguilmar

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CodPiece XL said:
I obviously haven’t been paying too much attention but I watched the entire draw live. I then saw Albania as a number 2 seeded team and it was a WTF moment.

And I see England got their usual bye group .
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I wasn’t paying close attention either outside of the bluebloods but apparently Albania did win their group was easier but did have the Czech Republic and Poland in it. They must’ve thought they’d end up with an ok draw but got stuck with Spain, Croatia, and Italy.

The last two spots are playoffs through the Nations League, which means that Estonia, who got one point in eight games in qualifying (scoring just two goals while conceding 22), have a puncher’s chance of qualifying for Euro 24.

I was today years old when I realized Kazakhstan is part of UEFA not AFC. I didn’t realize that a sliver of the country is in Europe. Learn something new every day.
 
Jake Peavy's Demons

Jake Peavy's Demons

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Nov 13, 2013
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So, Santos just got relegated from Brasileirão, where they have spent 63 seasons, joint-most with Grêmio. Pretty significant relegation for the 7x Brasileirão & 3x Copa Libertadores winners. First time they've been relegated.

Santos, Bahia, & Vasco da Gama all needed some combination of draws & victories in the final matches of the season tonight, & while Bahia came through with a big win against Atletico MG, & Vasco da Gama held on to defeat RB Bragantino, Santos lost against Fortaleza to seal their fate.

ETA: guess I should add that Palmeiras won back-to-back titles for their 11th overall. Grêmio, Atlético MG, & Flamengo round out the Top 4 Copa Libertadores berths, while Botafogo (RJ) & RB Bragantino earn qualification.
 
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the1andonly3003

the1andonly3003

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Jul 15, 2005
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Jake Peavy's Demons said:
So, Santos just got relegated from Brasileirão, where they have spent 63 seasons, joint-most with Grêmio. Pretty significant relegation for the 7x Brasileirão & 3x Copa Libertadores winners. First time they've been relegated.

Santos, Bahia, & Vasco da Gama all needed some combination of draws & victories in the final matches of the season tonight, & while Bahia came through with a big win against Atletico MG, & Vasco da Gama held on to defeat RB Bragantino, Santos lost against Fortaleza to seal their fate.

ETA: guess I should add that Palmeiras won back-to-back titles for their 11th overall. Grêmio, Atlético MG, & Flamengo round out the Top 4 Copa Libertadores berths, while Botafogo (RJ) & RB Bragantino earn qualification.
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https://x.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1732594558859448356?s=20

Fans of other relegated teams need to show this much emotion
 
rguilmar

rguilmar

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the1andonly3003

the1andonly3003

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rguilmar

rguilmar

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Zososoxfan

Zososoxfan

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rguilmar said:
Mayhem erupted in Turkey when a match official, Halil Umut Meler, was attacked by a club president after the game. Meler is recognizable to many since he does referee pretty often in European competitions. He was punched then kicked several times while on the ground. It’s pretty difficult to watch, and the entire Super Lig has been suspended.

https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2023/dec/11/ankaragucu-president-punches-referee-after-turkish-super-lig-match
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I'm just glad they took appropriate steps to suspend all matches and arrest these assholes. It's not that long ago I would expect none of that to happen. But maybe I'm just cynical and this would've elicited a similar response back in the day too.
 
Kliq

Kliq

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Beckenbauer makes an appearance on every single All Time XI or dream team constructed. While you could certainly have some defensible picks if you wanted to leave Pele, Maradona or Messi off of your team given the outrageous choices you have in terms of attacking talent--the first choice backline always begins with Beckenbauer, almost undisputedly the best to ever do it on that side of the field.
 
67YAZ

67YAZ

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Bozo Texino said:
Yep. Best to ever do it.

Hell, who's #2? Gotta be Maldini, no?
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Hard to compare. Maldini is the greatest fullback ever - he defined the modern fullback position and dominated matches from the left flank. He played an excellent CB later in his career.

But Beckenbauer was a unicorn. He played everything up the middle, from sweeper to 10, at an elite level. I don't think we'll ever see another player like him.

But am I the only one who can't separate the great player from the corrupt FIFA director? He was everything wrong with the international game at the end of his career.
 
Kliq

Kliq

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67YAZ said:
Hard to compare. Maldini is the greatest fullback ever - he defined the modern fullback position and dominated matches from the left flank. He played an excellent CB later in his career.

But Beckenbauer was a unicorn. He played everything up the middle, from sweeper to 10, at an elite level. I don't think we'll ever see another player like him.

But am I the only one who can't separate the great player from the corrupt FIFA director? He was everything wrong with the international game at the end of his career.
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I like to call this "The Michel Platini".

Maldini is the other guy that comes to mind instantly in terms of legendary defenders, but obviously a very different player than Beckenbauer.
 
67YAZ

67YAZ

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Kliq said:
I like to call this "The Michel Platini".
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Too true.

I wonder if these guys felt like they were owed something more for coming along a bit too early for the mega-millions star players started making in the 90s and growing exponentially still. Like these guys felt that they had helped raise the game up into the massive global revenue generator it is today, so they deserve a taste of that action.

Or maybe they just couldn’t say no to easy money. Superhuman on pitch, all too human off it.
 
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Kliq

Kliq

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67YAZ said:
Too true.

I wonder if these guys felt like they were owed something more for coming along a bit too early for the mega-millions star players started making in the 90s and growing exponentially still. Like these guys felt that they had helped raise the game up into the massive global revenue generator it is today, so they deserve a taste of that action.

Or maybe they just couldn’t say no to easy money. Superhuman on pitch, all too human off if.
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All the extremely wealthy superstars of the current age that gladly took the Saudi blood money would suggest its probably the latter.
 
rguilmar

rguilmar

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Three men have won the World Cup as both a manager and a player, Zagallo, Beckenbauer, and Deschamp. Zagallo died on Friday, Beckenbauer passed on Monday. Gotta imagine Deschamp isn’t sleeping well right now.
 
OCST

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Jan 10, 2004
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The 718
for reasons that are too obscure to merit explanation, or a thread, there is a Middlesboro-Chelsea Carabao Cup game on, and I am watching it, and Boro is winning - nice tidy goal at about 38 minutes.
 
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